Shuttle driving mechanism



Sept. 6, 1966 H. DYER 3,270,779

SHUTTLE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1965 2 Sheets-$heet L INVENTOR. HE N RV DYER A'ITORMEV.

Dept. 6, 1966 D 3,270,779

SHUTTLE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 7-? INVENTOR. HENRY DYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,270,779 SHUTTLE DRIVING MECHANISM Henry Dyer, 136 N. 15th St., Prospect Park, NJ. Filed Apr. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 448,317 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-138) My invention relates generally to looms and is directed particularly to improvements in the shuttle driving mechanism of narrow fabric looms.

Although various shuttle drive mechanisms for high speed looms have heretofore been devised, all have proven to be deficient in one or more of the following respects: (1) They utilize complicated and expensive mechanisms such as mitre gearing, sliding splines and universal joints. (2) Their action induces torsional or twisting stresses conducive to early break-down of the mechanism. (3) They impart undesired side thrust against the shuttle batten and lay beam. (4) They do not produce the precise reciprocatory motion required of the picker carriers. (5) They are only partially adjustable with respect to their motion imparted to the picker carriers.

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide an improved shuttle driving mechanism for power looms that obviates the above-describeddeficiencies in mechanisms for this purpose heretofore devised.

A more particular object is to provide a shuttle driving mechanism including a rocker shaft and rocker levers swin-gably journalled with respect to the batten lay beams, and thus supported entirely independently of the shuttle batten.

Yet another object is to provide a shuttle driving mechanism which will be fully adjustable for fine motion control, while at the same time being free of back-lash or loose motion to provide smoother action, thereby increasing potential speed of operation of a loom.

Still anther object is to provide an improved shuttle driving mechanism of the character described wherein the oscillatory motion of the batten lay beam and the rocking motion of the relatively journalled rocker levers are in the same plane, so that undesired side pressure will not be imparted to the lay beam.

Still another object is to provide an improved shuttle mechanism of the above nature which will be comprised of few and relatively inexpensive parts, and which will be economical in cost, simple to install and adjust, and dependable and durable in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reefren-ce to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts thorughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a shuttle driving mechanism embodying my invention, shown assembled to a 100m, only fragmentary parts of the batten lay beam and picker carrier guide rods of the loom being illustrated, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 designate, generally, my improved shuttle driving mechanism, the same being shown assembled to the batten lay beam B of a high speed power loom for cooperative operation with the shuttle batten assembly of the loom, indicated at 8 (FIG. 2).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, my mechanism is driven by the crank-shaft arm 10 carried by the counter-shaft 11 of a typical power loom of the type wherein such countershafts project outwardly of one side or the other of the loom frame and are geared to the main crank-shaft of the loom to rotate in the same direction and at the same speed therewith. Such looms are manufactured by Fletcher Works, Incorporated of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by way of example, and are of such well known construction that it is not deemed necessary to further describe or illustrate them herein for a full understanding of the shuttle driving mechanism embodying my invention.

The crank-shaft arm 10 is formed with a longitudinal slot 12 within which one end of a connecting rod 13 is adjustably secured by a bolt 14, said end of said connecting rod being equipped with a ball bearing through which said bolt extends to permit free reciprocatory action thereof upon rotation of the counter-shaft 11. The other end of the connecting rod 13 is screw threaded, as indicated at 15, and threadingly engaged in a bearing support member 16 equipped with a bearing through which a bolt 17 extends. The bolt 17 is adjustably secured in a longitudinally-extending slot 18 provided at one end of an elongated main or rear rocker lever 19. The other end of the main rocker lever 19 is provided with a transverse bore 20 fitted within which is a short rocker shaft 21, said rocker lever being secured to said rocker shaft for motion in unison therewith. Lever 19 is secured in position by set screw 22 in addition to matching key-ways in both lever and shaft to assure no slippage. The rocker shaft 21 is journalled in spaced parallel relation behind and below the batten lay beam B by means of a pair of bracket plates 23 secured to said lay beam in laterally spaced relation as by bolts 24, and having downwardly-projecting portions carrying pillow block bearings 25 for said rocker shaft, said pillow block bearings being secured to said bracket plates as by machine screws 26.

Also secured to the rocker shaft 21, between the pillow block bearings 25 thereof, are the inner ends of a pair of laterally spaced forwardly-projecting, relatively short front levers 27, said front levers being secured to said rocker shaft as by set screws 28 in addition to matching key-ways in both levers and shaft. The outer ends of the front levers 27 are formed with longitudinally-extending slots 29 received within which are sidewardlyextending ball joint posts 30 adjustably secured therein as by stud bolts 31. The ball joint posts 30 carry, for limited universal motion with respect thereto, ball joint members 32 at one end of a pair of ball joint links 33. The other ends of the ball joint links 33 have similar ball joint members 34 carrying ball joint posts 35 secured on each to the opposed inner connector bearing portions 36 of the usual triangular picker levers 37. The inner ends of the upper and lower ball joint members of each ball joint link 33 theadingly receive respective right and left hand theaded upper and lower ends of a short connector rod 38 formed with a central hexagonal portion 39 permitting fine individual length adjustment of the ball joint links 33 in the manner of a turnbuckle.

The lower connector bearing portions 40 of the triangular picker levers 37 are, as is customary in the construction of looms of this type, journalled on brackets 41 fixed against the front of batten lay beam B, permitting lateral swinging of said triangular picker levers in front of said lay beam. The upper connector bearing portions 42 of the triangular picker levers 37, as in known construction, are pivotally connected to one end each of a pair of picker carrier links 43, the inner ends of which are journalled to picker carriers 44 slidingly supported on transverse carrier rods 45 arranged in spaced parallel relation in front of the shuttle batten S.

In use, it will be evident that the angular throw of the main rocker lever 19 can readily be adjusted by adjusting the positions of the bearings of the connecting rod 13 in their respective crank and main lever slots,

and, additionally, by adjustment of the bearing support member 16 along the upper end of said connecting rod. Similarly, the vertical throw of the ball joint levers 33 can be further individually fine adjusted by positional adjustment of the ball joint posts 30 in their respective front lever slots 29 to precisely control the lateral stroke of the picker carrier 44. The individual length adjustment of the ball joint links 33 by means of their threaded connector rods 38 permits fine adjustment of the lateral position of the picker carrier stroke with respect to the shuttle batten assembly S. It will thus be apparent that full individual control of the picker carrier stroke and position in the shuttle mechanism is achieved Without torsional forces being applied to any of the loom components, and without play or back-lash characteristic of shuttle driving mechanisms of the type utilizing mitre gearing, splines, full universal joints and the like.

While there is illustrated and described herein only one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is presented by way of example only, and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to obtain 'by Letters Patent is:

1. A shuttle driving device for power looms of the type having a transverse batten lay beam, a shuttle batten in spaced parallel relation above the batten lay beam and a rotary drive shaft extending outwardly of one end of the loom and disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to the batten lay beam and shuttle batten, comprising, in combination, a rocker shaft journalled in spaced parallel relation with respect to and below the bat-ten lay beam, an elongated main lever perpendicularly fixed at one end to said rocker shaft and extending to the rear of the lay beam, a pair of relatively short elongated front levers each perpendicularly fixed at one end to said rocker shaft and extending to the front of the lay beam, a pair of picker levers, each having upper and lower and sidewardly ofiset pivotal bearing portions, the lower pivotal bearing portions of said picker levers each being journalled with respect to the front of said lay beam for independent transverse swinging motion with respect thereto, adjustable link means interconnecting said sidewardly offset pivotal bearing portions of said picker levers with one each of the other ends of said front levers for transmitting os- 4. cillatory motion therebetween, and adjustable crank means interconnecting said other end of said main lever with the rotary drive shaft of the loom for imparting oscillatory rocking motion to said rocker shaft.

2. A shuttle driving device as defined in claim 1 wherein said picker levers are arranged in spaced relation along said batten lay beam with their sidewardly offset pivotal bearing portions facing each other, and wherein said adjustable link means comprises a ball joint member at each end.

3. A shuttle driving device as defined in claim 2 wherein said adjustable link means further comprises a link rod having right and left hand threaded end portions threadedly received in openings in one each of said ball joint members, whereby the length of said adjustable link means can be adjusted by turning said link rod with respect to said ball joint members.

4. A shuttle driving device as defined in claim 3 wherein said adjustable link means further comprises a longitudinal slot in the other end of each of said front levers, and means for securing the lower ball joint members of each of said adjustable link means in one each of said front lever slots.

5. A shuttle driving device as defined in claim 2 wherein said adjustable crank means comprises a crank shaft arm fixed to the rotary drive shaft, and a connecting rod interconnecting said crank shaft arm and said other end of said main lever.

6. A shuttle driving device as defined in claim 5 wherein said adjustable crank means further comprises longitudinal slots in said crank shaft arm and in said other end of said main lever, and means for adjustably securing the ends of said connecting rod in one each of said crank shaft arm and main lever slots.

7. A shuttle driving device as defined .in claim 5 wherein said adjustable crank means further comprises a bearing support member, said main lever end of said connecting rod being threadedly received in said hearing support member for positional adjustment therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,891,648 12/1932 Matthews 139137 2,221,146 11/1940 Martin 139138 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

H. S. JAUDON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHUTTLE DRIVING DEVICE FOR POWER LOOMS OF THE TYPE HAVING A TRANSVERSE BATTEN LAY BEAM, A SHUTTLE BATTEN IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION ABOVE THE BATTEN LAY BEAM AND A ROTARY DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF ONE END OF THE LOOM AND DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BATTEN LAY BEAM AND SHUTTLE BATTEN, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A ROCKER SHAFT JOURNALLED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO AND BELOW THE BATTEN LAY BEAM, AN ELONGATED MAIN LEVER PERPENDICULAR FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID ROCKER SHAFT AND EXTENDING TO THE REAR OF THE LAY BEAM, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY SHORT ELONGATED FRONT LEVERS EACH PERPENDICULARLY FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID ROCKER SHAFT AND EXTENDING TO THE FRONT OF THE LAY BEAM, A PAIR OF PICKER LEVERS, EACH HAVING UPPER AND LOWER AND SIDEWARDLY OFFSET PIVOTAL BEARING PORTIONS, THE LOWER PIVOTAL BEARING PORTIONS OF SAID PICKER LEVERS EACH BEING JOURNALLED WITH RESPECT TO THE FRONT OF SAID LAY BEAM FOR INDEPENDENT TRANSVERSE SWINGING MOTION WITH RESPECT THERETO, ADJUSTABLE LINK MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SIDEWARDLY OFFSET PIVOTAL BEARING PORTIONS OF SAID PICKER LEVERS WITH ONE EACH OF THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID FRONT LEVERS FOR TRANSMITTING OSCILLATORY MOTION THEREBETWEEN, AND ADJUSTABLE CRANK MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID OTHER END OF SAID MAIN LEVER WITH THE ROTARY DRIVE SHAFT OF THE LOOM FOR IMPARTING OSCILLATORY ROCKING MOTION TO SAID ROCKER SHAFT. 